Ductor roll lockout device



Feb. 11, 1964 H. B. GREENWOOD 3,120,803

DUCTOR ROLL LOCKOUT DEVICE Filed Feb. 8, l962 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR HENRY B. GREENWOOD ATTORNEY Lil i Feb. 11, 1964 H. B. GREENWOOD DUCTOR ROLL LOCKOUT DEVIQE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 8, 1962 INVENTOR HENRY B. GREENWOOD ATTORNEY H, B. GREENWOOD DUCTOR ROLL LOCKOUT DEVICE Feb. 11,1964

Filed Feb. 8, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 NE 02 a! NE R H .Y m m mw m v 0 m 1 A m at O United States Patent DUUTGR RULE LUQKGUT DEVICE Henry E. Greenwood, deceased, late of Ealtimore, Md, by Samuel f". Greenwood, executor, Baltimore, Md, assignor, by rnesne assignments, to anruei M. Langston Company, tlamden, NJ, a corporation Filed Feb. 8, i962, Ser. No. 185,4?1 2 Claims. (ill. 161-351) This invention relates generally to printer-slotters used for printing and slotting carton blanks which are usually of double-faced corrugated board or the like, and more particularly it pertains to a lockout device for an oscillating ductor roller.

This is a continuation-in-part application of US. patent application, Serial Number 427,629, filed by applicant on May 4, 1954, for Doctor Roll Lockout Device, now abandoned, and a continuation-in-part of US. patent application, Serial Number 727,857, filed on April ll, 1958, by applicant, for Doctor Roll Lockout Device, now abandoned.

Frequently, it is desirable to clean the various ink distributing rollers in printing machinery, as, for instance, when an unusually large number of items are being printed and partial y dried ink begins to accumulate on the rolls or rollers, or when a change in color is required.

In the past it has been a time consuming practice to bring the machinery to a stop, remove either the ducting or fountain roller and then restart the machinery in order to clean the various remaining rollers. The ducting or fountain roller would be cleaned while off of the machine, which, in itself, is a cumbersome task. In addition, the machinery must be stopped again while the roller is being replaced.

it is also desirable occasionally, when too large a quantity of ink has been deposited on the distributing rollers and printing cylinder, to be able to keep the oscillating doctor roller out of contact with the fountain roller until the surplus ink has been run off.

Quite obviously, considerable time loss and expense can be avoided if the above operations can be performed without shutdown or disassembly of the printing niachiner It is, therefore, an outstanding object of the present invention to provide an oscillating ductor roller which can be held out of contact with the fountain roll, thereby preventing ink distribution.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a ductor roller which can maintain continuous contact with an ink distributing roller, thereby maintaining rotation in order to facilitate cleaning of the ductor roller.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and improved ductor roller that will be automatically oscillated from the ink fountain roller to an ink distributing roller to transfer ink to the printing cylinder.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art as the invention is more fully set forth.

For a better understanding of the invention and its objects, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which in conjunction with the following description outline a particular form of the invention by way of example, while the claims emphasize the scope thereof:

IGURE 1 is a simplified front elevation of a printerslotter embodying this invention;

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FIGURE 2 is a section taken on line 22 of FIG- URE l with various parts shown in elevation and with the lock-out lever of the present invention shown disengaged, thereby allowing the doctor roller to alter nately contact the fountain roller and first ink distributing roller;

FIGURE 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an elevation as viewed from the left side of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on line 5-5 of FIGURE 4 through a fountain roller advancing mechanism;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on line 66 of FIGURE 2 showing the ductor roller lock-out device in an unlocked position; and

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view similar to FEGURE 6 but in the locked-out position.

In the drawings, a highly simplified printer has been illustrated wherein there has been shown only those details which are essential to a full understanding of the invention. This invention resides mainly in an oscillating ductor roller and an arrangement for holding it out of contact with a fountain roller and maintaining contact with a first ink distributing roller.

In order to fully explain the operation of the invention certain parts of a conventional carton blank printer are described and numbered on the drawings, but is not intended to limit the operation of this device to a printer or its arrangement or method of drive to that shown in the drawings because it is readily adaptable to other printing arrangements.

As is well known in the art, certain of the intermediate ink distributing rollers are so equipped as to cause them to reciprocate along their axes in order to insure an even spread of ink. The arrangement and method for achieving this motion is well known and is not illustrated in the drawings.

For all general purposes, the various rollers and gears are rotatably mounted on a pair of side frames 1i) and 12 which are held in spaced relationship by a printing table 1 -3. A gear train 16, suitably enclosed in a housing 18, includes a main drive gear 24 mounted on stub shaft and driven by a motor (not shown). The gear 2% drives an idler 2 mounted on stub shaft 26. The idler 2 1, in turn, drives a gear 28 mounted on shaft 39, which carries a printing cylinder 32. Gear 2% further drives a gear 34 mounted on shaft as. Gear 34,. in turn, drives a final gear 38 mounted on a shaft Shafts 36 and 4a carry distributing rollers 42 and dd, respectively.

A roller 46, carried by shaft 4-8, is driven by frictional engagement with the printing cylinder 32 and distributing roller Two additional distributing rollers 5b and 52, carried by shafts 54 and 56, respectively, are provided. Roller St? is driven by frictional contact with the roller 44, and, in turn, drives roller 52. In order to maintain contact over the entire length of the rollers, thereby insuring a uniform distribution of ink, it is common practice to alternate the metal rollers, such as 32, 44, and 52, with rollers 42, 46, and 5t) constructed of a resilient material, such as rubber.

During the printing operation, an oscillating ducting roller 58 receives ink 6i? from a fountain 62 by means of a fountain roller 64. The oscillating ducting roller 58 then transfers the ink 60 to the first distributing roller 52. The ducting roller 58 is driven alternately by the distrib- 3 uting roller 52, which rotates continuously, and then by the fountain roller 64 which rotates in a step-wise manner as will now be disclosed in detail. 2

As can best be seen in FIGURES 4 and 5, the shaft 3%? has a gear 66 fixed [to it at its end opposite the gear 28. Gear 66 drives a gear 68, which is rotatably supported by a stub shaft 70. The gear 68 has a cam 72 atfixed to its surface which will be described in more detail subsequently. The face of the cam 72 is provided with a pin '74 which drives a curved eccentric rod 76. Rod 75, in turn, drives an eccentric crank 7d, which is rotatably mounted on a fountain roller shaft fail.

The are described by pin 74 about stub shaft ill is considerably smaller than the are described by eccentric pin 82 about shaft 86). Hence, the rotational movement of the pin 74 around the shaft 70 is translated through the rod 76 and pin 82 into an oscillatory movement of the eccentric crank 7 8 about shaft 80.

A ratchet wheel 84 is fixed to the shaft 30 by a key 86, thereby enabling a pawl 88, rotatably secured at the upper end of eccentric crank 72%, to drive the fountain roller 64 in a counterclockwise direction when the pin 82 at the lower end of crank 7 3 is pulled from left to right by the rod 76. The pawl 38 will release on the return stroke (right to left) of the rod '76. A coil spring 20 is provided to maintain engagement of the pawl 88 with the ratchet wheel 34. In order to regulate the amount of ink transferred to the ductor roller 58, the number of degrees through which the fountain roller 64 is rotated can rea 'ly be adjusted as will now be explained. A circular cam 92 with a flange 94 is freely mounted on the shaft 80 between a washer face 96 on the ratchet wheel 34 and a boss 28 on crank 78. Integrally formed with the cam 92 is a lever 190, the outer end of which is provided with spring biased pin 102. A quadrant 104 with a plurality of adjustment holes 106 is secured to a sidewall 1198 of the fountain 62. 1

As the pawl 38 is moved from left to right by the upper end of lever 78, it will be lifted out of engagement witl the ratchet wheel 84 by the flange 24 of cam 92. On the return stroke of the lever 78, the pawl 88 will be prevented from driving the ratchet 84 until it drops off the flange 94. Pin N2 can be withdrawn from any adjustment hole 1% by means of a knob 110. On moving the lever 100 upwardly a greater number of ratchet teeth will be exposed; and consequently increasing the amount of rotation of the fountain roller 64 and the amount of ink transferred. On moving the lever 1% to the lowermost hole 196, any rotation of the fountain roller 64 will be prevented. The rotation of the fountain roller 64 is timed to coincide with the period during which it is in contact with the ductor roller 58.

The oscillatory movement of the ductor roller 58 will now be explained. A cam following roller 112 is rotatably secured at the lower end of a cam oscillated lever or arm 114, the upper end of which is fixed to a shaft 116. Adjacent the inner surfaces of the side frames and 12 and similarly fixed to the shaft 116 are a pair of spaced oscillating levers or links 113 which provide journals at their lower ends for a shaft 129, which carries the oscillating ducting roller 58. The cam follower 112 is biased toward the cam 72 by a heavy coil spring 122, one end of which is secured to the arm 114 and the other end to the sideframe 12 by a post 124. The cam 72 is formed with a circular lobe 126 and a low circular surface 128. As the follower 112 traverses the lobe 126, the ductor roll 58 is held out of contact with the fountain roller 64 and in contact with distributing roller 52. Conversely, as the follower 112 passes over the low surface 128 the ductor roller will be held in contact with the fountain roller 64 by spring 122.

A novel arrangement, as best seen in FIGURES 2, 6, and 7, enables the ductor roller 58 to be locked out of engagement with the fountain roller 64. The shaft 116 has secured to its extreme right end, as viewed in FIGURE 1,

a lever 130, the lower end or which is provided with an integrally formed boss 132. The boss 132 is formed with an aperture 134 to slida-bly receive a land 136 formed on a loeloout pin 138.

Around the pin 138 and between the land 136 and a shoulder 1th in the aperture 134, there is arranged a coil spring 142 which biases the pin 13% toward the sideframe 1t). Secured by a dowel 14 5, the pin 138 has a knob 146 at its outermost end which has had portions of its cylindrical body 143 removed, as by milling, on both sides in order to form a key 1549. The boss 132 is provided at its outermost end with a pair of slots 152 and 154 arranged in cruciform fashion. The shallow slot 152 maintains the key 159 in the normal or unlocked position as shown in FIGURE 6. a

The lever is fixed to the shaft 116, as previously descnibed. Consequently, it will oscillate continuously along with the arm 114 as the follower 112 traverses the cam 72. By withdrawing the key 15% from slot 152 and rotating it a quarter turn, the spring 14-2 will then drive the lockout pin 138 into engagement with a hole 156 in sideframe 10 when the arm reaches the upper limit of the are through which it oscillates. The pin 138 will now retain the arm 1% in this position against the tension of spring 122 thereby preventing any further oscillation of the ductor roller 53. When the lever 1343 is placed in locked-out position, as just described, the ductor roller 53 will maintain continuous contact with distributing roller 52.

Obvious minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the spirit thereof. It is not, therefore, desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a printing device, a frame, an ink fountain roller, an ink distribution roller, each said roller being rotatably mounted within said frame, means for rotating said ink distributing roller, means for intermittently turning said ink fountain roller, a ductor roller positioned between said ink fountain roller and said ink distribution roller and arranged for alternate rotational engagement with said ink fountain roller and said ink distribution roller for intermittently transferring a predetermined amount of ink from said ink fountain roller to said ink distribution roller, a shaft oscillatably mounted Within said frame, a cam, a cam oscillated lever biased in operative engagement with said cam, said cam oscillated lever being connected at its upper end to said shaft, means including a pair of spaced oscillating levers connected at their upper ends, respectively, to said shaft, said ductor roller being journalled in the lower ends, respectively, of said pair of spaced oscillating levers, whereby said ductor roller and cam oscillated lever move through an are as an integral unit as governed by said cam, mechanism including another oscillating lever arranged exteriorally of said frame to oscillate simultaneously with said pair of spaced oscillating levers as well as said cam oscillated lever, said frame having an aperture therein on its exterior, and positive locking means mounted on said another oscillating lever and including a retractable rod member biased to engage said aperture in said frame for positively looking said another oscillating lever in a position in which said ductor roller is out of rotational engagement with said ink fountain roller and in rotational engagement with said ink distribution roller.

2. In the printing device as recited in claim 1, wherein said positive locking means consists of a housing mounted on said another oscillating lever and having an annular opening extending transversely to said frame, said retractable rod member being reciprocatively and rotatably mounted Within said annular opening and biased to have one end thereof extending from the inner side of said housing to engage said aperture in said frame,

5 said housing having engaging means at the outer side nately engage said ink fountain roller and said ink distrithereof, and a knob member mounted on the other end of bution roller.

said retractable rod member and having means interfitting References Cited in the file of this patent with said engaging means in one position of rotation of said knob member to permit said retractable rod mem- 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS her to extend from said housing and bridging said en- 1,383,945 Henderson July 5, 1921 gaging means in another position of rotation of said knob 2,054,830 Osborn Sept. 22, 1936 member to retract said retractable rod member into sai 2,306,044 Davidson Dec. 22, 1942 housing, thereby permitting said ductor roller to alter- 2,377,663 Barber June 5, 1945 

1. IN A PRINTING DEVICE, A FRAME, AN INK FOUNTAIN ROLLER, AN INK DISTRIBUTION ROLLER, EACH SAID ROLLER BEING ROTATABLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID FRAME, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID INK DISTRIBUTING ROLLER, MEANS FOR INTERMITTENTLY TURNING SAID INK FOUNTAIN ROLLER AND SAID INK DISTRIBUTION ROLLER FOR INTERMITTENTLY TRANSFERRING A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF INK FROM SAID FOUNTAIN ROLLER TO SAID INK DISTRIBUTION ROLLER, A SHAFT OSCILLATABLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID FRAME, A CAM, A CAM OSCILLATED LEVER BIASED IN OPERATIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID CAM, SAID CAM OSCILLATED LEVER BEING CONNECTED AT ITS UPPER END TO SAID SHAFT, MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF SPACED OSCILLATING LEVERS CONNECTED AT THEIR UPPER ENDS, RESPECTIVELY, TO SAID SHAFT, SAID DUCTOR ROLLER BEING JOURNALLED IN THE LOWER ENDS, RESPECTIVELY, OF SAID PAIR OF SPACED OSCILLATING LEVERS, WHEREBY SAID DUCTOR ROLLER AND CAM OSCILLATED LEVER MOVE THROUGH AN ARC AS AN INTEGRAL UNIT AS GOVERNED BY SAID CAM, MECHANISM INCLUDING ANOTHER OSCILLATING LEVER ARRANGED EXTERIORLY OF SAID FRAME TO OSCILLATE SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH SAID PAIR OF SPACED OSCILLATING LEVERS AS WELL AS SAID CAM OSCILLATED LEVER, SAID FRAME HAVING AN APERTURE THEREIN ON ITS EXTERIOR, AND POSITIVE LOCKING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID ANOTHER OSCILLATING LEVER AND INCLUDING A RETRACTABLE ROD MEMBER BIASED TO ENGAGE SAID APERTURE IN SAID FRAME FOR POSITIVELY LOCKING SAID ANOTHER OSCILLATING LEVER IN A POSITION IN WHICH SAID DUCTOR ROLLER IS OUT OF ROTATIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID INK FOUNTAIN ROLLER AND IN ROTATIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID INK DISTRIBUTION ROLLER. 